Seating.



Patented Dec. I6, |902.

No. 7|5,9s9.

F. S. BROOKE.

SEATING. v (Applicatiog filed Oct. 5, 1901.).

2 Sheets-Sheet l. 22 e zz .zz-,Q

(lo Handel.)

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Io.-7I5,969. Patented Dec. I6, |902.

x F. S. BROOKE.

SEATING.A

(Appueion med occ. 5, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.Ni [n ses Inventar UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FINLEY S. BROOKE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SEATING.

SPEGIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 715,969, dated December 16, 1902.

Application tiled October 5, 1901. Serial No. 77,664. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FINLnY S. BROOKE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident' of the city ofOincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Seating, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in backs and seats for seating in general, embracing straight or curved pews or settees, chairs, and other kinds of fixed or portable seating.

My object is to provide seating with backs and seats having a seating-surface of such a shape as to render them more comfortable to the users than those heretofore constructed.

Another object of my invention is to provide the meeting edges of the back and seat with means whereby this part of the structure is strengthened, so as to avoid the separation thereof, which is liable to happen in the ordinary construction of seating, where the supports for the seat are necessarily a considerable distance apart.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for bracing the back of the seating, so as to hold it in position and prevent the warping thereof by the changes in temperature of the room in which the seating is located.

Another object of my invention is to provide a paneled solid back, within which the book rack or holder is supported. f

My invention comprises a back constructed from a solid board of one thickness of lumber plowed or planed out into a compound curve on the front face thereof, producing forwardly-projecting bottom and top edges,while leaving the rear face flat, with angular bottom and top edges, bottom, top, and transverse rails fastened to the rear face of the back, providing bracing-strips for holding the back in position to keep it from warping and producing a sunken panel, the bottom rail being so applied'as to project beneath the back and provide a rabbet at the bottom edge of the latter, a seat having the surface of its inner edge flattened and tting in the rabbet beneath the back andV fastened both to the back and to the bottom rail for mutually securing these parts together to sustain considerable weight, and a raised panel on the sunken panel at the rear of the curved front face providing a support for a book rack or holder, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical transverse section of my improved back for seating of one thickness of lumber and built up of several longitudinal pieces joined together. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a back and seat, showing a back in one piece.l Fig. 3 is a similar view of a back and seat, the back having vertical openings and rods located in the openings for bracing the back. Fig. 4c is asimilar view of a back and seat, the back being built up of several longitudinal pieces joined together. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a back and seat, the

`back being built up of several longitudinal pieces jointed together. Fig. 6 is a rear view of a part of the back shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail top View of the seat and back shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section of a seat and back, showing a back having a veneer facing and front bracing-strips. Fig. 9 is a detail top View of a back, showing the vertical openings. Fig. l0 is a similar view showing bracing-rods in section located in the openings. Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of a back and seat.

My improved back for seating is constructed solid of one thickness of lumber, shaped up, with a longitudinal lower part l, having a concave front surface la, a flat rear surface 1b, and a forwardly-projecting flat lower edge 1c, with a longitudinal central part 2, having a convex front surface 2a and a flat rear surface 2b and with a longitudinal upper part 3, having a concave front surface 3a, a fiat rear surface 3", and a forwardly-projecting iat upper edge 3. This back may be formed in one piece, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 8, and 1l, or the parts l, 2, and 3 may be of separate pieces secured together by adhesive material, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, or having a feather-andgroove joint 1d or a tongue-an d-groove joint 3d, as shown in Fig. 5. I provide a seat also constructed of one thickness of lumber, shaped up with longitudinal narrow strips 4, secured together by adhesive material having an inner ICO concave upper surface 4, an outer convex upper surface 4., and a flat lower surface Lic. The inner edge of the seat is slightly beveled, so as to conform to the flat rear surface of the inclined back, and the inner edge of the seat also has a at surface. The back is supported on the at rear part of the upper surface of the seat flush with the rear edge thereof and is secured by adhesive material or fastened thereto by nails or screws 5.

6 is a longitudinal lower bracing-rail secured by adhesive material or fastened by nails or screws 7, or both, to the lower part of the back at the rear thereof and to the inner edge of the seat fiush with the lower surface of the latter. The lower bracing-rail may be constructed of two pieces 6 6b, as shown in Fig. 4.

S is a longitudinal upper bracing-rail secured by adhesive material or fastened by nails or screws 9, or both, to the upper part of the back at the rear flush with the upper edge thereof. This upper bracing-rail may be constructed in two pieces S 8b, as shown in Fig. 3.

10 represents transverse bracing-rails secured by adhesive material or fastened by nails or screws 11, or both, to the rear surface of the back to provide, with the longitudinal bracing-rails, slinken panels in which thin ornamental raised panels or plates 12 may be secured by adhesive material or nails or screws 13, or both, leaving spaces between the bracing-rails and the raised panels, producin g channels or recesses around the raised panels. The raised panels are adapted t0 support book racks or holders.

14 represents moldings flush with the upper edges of the upper rear rails.

The front surface of the back may be provided with a veneer facing 15, as shown in Fig. 8.

1G is a longitudinal lower front bracingstrip secured by adhesive material or fastened by nails or screws 17, or both.

1S is a longitudinal upper front bracingstrip secured by adhesive material or fastened by nails or screws 1D.

2O represents transverse bracing-strips secured by adhesive material or fastened by nails or screws 21, or both, to provide shallow panels in connection with the lower and upper bracing-strips.

For crowning the back I provide a semielliptical cap-rail 22, formed either in one piece, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8, and 11, or in several pieces secured together by adhesive material and of such width as to break joint with the back, rail, and molding. The caprail is secured by adhesive material or fastened by nails or screws 23.

Extending part way or wholly through the back, between the front and rear surfaces, are vertical circular openings 24., as shown in Figs. 3 and 9, in which are fitted bracing-rods 25 or dowels of wood or metal, as shown in Figs. 3 and 10, having their exposed ends 24 bent at right angles thereto, so as to extend over the bottom and top edges of the back.

By making the backs of seating out of one thickness of lumber curved on the front part or face thereof a comfortable seat is provided for sitting purposes. Where a lower longitudinal rear bracing-rail is secured to the back, so as to project beneath it, a recess or rabbet is provided, into which the inner slightly-beveled edge of the seat can be fitted, so as to extend beneath the back, and this form of joint prevents the collection of dust and also enables the seat to be glued and fastened by nails or screws from the bottom of the seat up into the back proper as well as from the bracing-rail which is glued or fastened to the back, to be glued or fastened to the seat. This makes a stronger job than if the seat was only fastened one way. The rods or dowels, made of metal or Wood and which run edgewise through the back and are secured at the edges to prevent splitting of the back and permit it to bend longitudinally to any radius desired and hold it to its curvature with the seat and cap. The perforating or boring of the vertical openings in the back permits the back to bend to the desired curvature. The longitudinal and transverse rear bracing-rails are bent or sawed circularly, so as to assist in holdingthe back in a circular form when bent longitudinally. The tting of the rear edge of the seat beneath the back and against the lower rear bracing-rail secures strength, durability, and cleanliness. The joining of the back and seat in the manner described permits the nesting of these parts, and thus facilitates the shipping, delivering, and setting upof the seating. The forwardly projecting upper edge of the back and the receding curved part of the cap-rail conform somewhat to the neck of the occupant of the scat and provide a head-rest. The rear surface of the back being fiat or plane and the back only slightly inclined rearward, the seating can be placed nearer together than with ordinary seating, while space is provided beneath the cap-rail for ornamental paneling of substantial construction.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Seating comprising a seat having an angular inner edge formed with a iiattened surface, a solid back having a plain rear face, a front face formed with a compound curve, and angular forwardly-projecting bottom and top edges, and supported on the attened surface of the seat, Iiush with the inner edge of the latter, means for securing the seat and back together, the lower rear bracing-rail, means for securing the bottom rail to the seat and back for bracing them rigidly together to strengthen the joint between them, the upper rear rail secured fiush with the top edge of the back for bracing the latter, the transverse rear rails located between the IOO lower and upper rails providing in connection with the latter a sunken panel, and a curved top rail surmounting the back.

2. Seating comprising a seat having an angular inner edge formed with a flattened surface, a solid back having a plain rear face, a front face formed with a compound curve, and angular forwardly-projecting bottom and top edges, and supported on the flattened surface of the seat flush with the inner edge of the latter, means for securing .the seat and back together, the lower rear bracing-rail, means for securing the bottom rail to the seat and back for bracing them rigidly together to strengthen the joint between them, the upper rear rail secured ilush with the top edge of the back for bracing the latter, the trans- Verse rear rails located between the lower and upper rails providing in connection with the latter a sunken panel, the front lower, upper,and transverse braoing-rails,and a curved top rail surmounting the back.

FINLEY S. BROOKE.

Witnesses:

O. SPENGEL, ARTHUR KLINE. 

